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  “I told Becca to bring Jamie to my place for dinner tomorrow. I’d like you two to be there.”

  Cara nodded at Wrath before responding. “No problem. We’ll bring the food. We can stay with Jamie while you two talk.”

  “I want to spend time with him.”

  “Maybe it’s best to take it a step at a time. You’ve been hit with a lot and need time to process it all.” Wrath squeezed his wife’s shoulder. “If it had been me, I’d be as upset as you. Still, give yourself time to think through what’s best for Jamie.”

  “I’m not waiting weeks or months to get to know my son.”

  “No one’s asking you to.” Cara shifted to lean into Wrath’s side. “Just don’t push it. Talk with Becca enough to clear the air. Spend time with Jamie. Arrange to meet with them again so he can get to know you. That may be all you need before telling him. The tricky part will be not throwing Becca under the bus.”

  Looking at her, Wrangler raised a brow.

  “Come up with a reason you weren’t in his life that both you and Becca can agree on. It’s important you don’t villainize each other.”

  Even with the whirlwind of hurt and disbelief swirling through him, Cara’s words made sense. “I’ll do my best.”

  “Your best has always been good enough for me, little brother.”

  Wrath glanced down at his wife, seeing her brows furrow. “What’s going on it that head of yours?”

  “There may be one other problem, and it involves all of us.”

  Sitting forward, Wrangler rested his arms on his knees. “What?”

  “Your association with Eternal Brethren.”

  “What about it?”

  “You’ve all made it a point to create the perception of an outlaw motorcycle gang. The town looks the other way most of the time because you run ethical businesses and contribute a good portion of your profits to community groups. You’re like Robin Hood and his Merry Men, but on bikes.”

  Both men chuckled, then sobered when her face grew more serious.

  “If Becca decides to hire another attorney and fight you, she could make a case you’re part of a criminal gang. Even with your nice house and fat bank account, most judges will be reluctant to grant you custody with that hanging over you.”

  Wrangler gave a slight shrug, signaling he didn’t see the problem. “We show my employment as business owner, which is true.”

  “You can bet Becca won’t make it that simple. She’ll describe you as having a connection to a criminal element. A good attorney will hire someone to follow you, get images of you entering and leaving the clubhouse, wearing a cut, looking like the very person you’ve cultivated since the Eternal Brethren was founded.”

  He tipped back his head to stare at the ceiling. “Shit.”

  “What can we do, sweetheart?” Wrath leaned down, kissing her cheek.

  “All this is just coming to me, but there are a few things we need to consider. There are two judges who hear family law cases. One is firmly in the group who thinks Chuck Abernathy is the best police chief Liberty Lake has had in a long time.”

  A derisive snort burst from Wrath’s lips. “Ethan believes he’s in deep with the Night Devils. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to prove it. I believe it’s time to help our brother out.”

  “I’m all in for that,” Wrangler said. “Give me the word and I’m all over Chuckie.”

  Cara grinned on a low laugh. “Until then, he’ll be firmly in the camp that says the Eternal Brethren are evil and should be run out of town. Therefore, it’ll be hard to obtain joint custody from him.”

  “The other judge?” Wrath asked.

  “She and I have become close since I opened my practice. We have lunch every few weeks, discuss new legislation, the plight of single parents.” Cara sent Wrangler a cautious look. “I can guarantee she will not like the fact you left Becca after three years together and never gave her a way to contact you. Her first husband did the same, although their child was already two when he left. Still, she has always been more inclined to include both parents in a custody agreement.”

  Pursing her lips, Cara stared at a point across the room before continuing.

  “If it comes to it, I would trust her to know the truth about Eternal Brethren.”

  “No!” Wrath and Wrangler growled at the same time.

  “Hey, I’m not advocating it. I’m just saying she’d keep the knowledge confidential. That doesn’t mean a good attorney wouldn’t figure it out and dig deeper. Might even get Abernathy to help out. The truth of Eternal Brethren’s real mission is always at risk.”

  Wrath grunted, rubbing his stubbled chin. “Besides the fact Admiral Grayson will burn our asses if I request permission to share our background with a judge.”

  Wrangler nodded. “He’s already chafed about you, Rock, and Ghost marrying. Each change makes our exposure more of a certainty.”

  Squeezing his wife’s shoulder, he kissed her again. “Not if we marry the right women.”

  “Yeah, there is that.”

  Wrangler forced his gaze away from the sickeningly happy couple to stare back out the wall of picture windows. Yesterday, he thought there might still be a chance of a future with Becca. Tonight, he had to accept that might no longer be possible.

  Standing, Wrath held a hand out to help Cara up. “You know the drill. Last bedroom on the end with its own bathroom. If you need anything else, find it.”

  Cara chuckled at her husband’s unique skills as a host.

  “Hey, he’s family. He can take care of himself.” Threading his fingers through Cara’s, Wrath took a step toward Wrangler. “This is going to work out. Besides, I’m ready to be an uncle. It’ll give me practice for when ours is born.” He rested his other hand on Cara’s slightly rounded belly.

  Throat tightening, he had no response, his thoughts wandering to Jamie and what he was like as a baby. When did he walk, talk, start eating on his own? Did he go to preschool? What sports did his son like? What video games? He didn’t even know what grade Jamie was in.

  Each thought had his chest constricting, increasing the knot of agony to where he could barely draw a breath. He’d made so many mistakes in his life. Not one greater than leaving Becca behind.

  Chapter Eight

  Becca woke to a persistent pulsing in her head, eyes fused shut from too little sleep and too much crying. Slowly, her eyelids lost their grasp and cracked open, a sliver of sun indicating it was indeed morning. Thank goodness it was Sunday with nowhere to go.

  Except Quinn’s.

  The thought made her anxiety from the night before return. What had been a wonderful day with Jamie turned into a complete shitstorm. In all the years they’d been together, Becca had never seen Quinn so angry, so hurt. But what had she expected?

  The slim thread of doubt about her decision had come back to bite her in a big way. Not only that, but the sliver of doubt had grown into a cyclone of guilt, manifesting into a sleepless night and a torturous crying spell. Something she hadn’t done since before Jamie was born.

  Cara had warned her not to waste any more time before talking with Quinn. It was a small town. Eventually, she and Jamie would run into him somewhere, and it wouldn’t be pretty. Although Becca had agreed, she’d put it off. One week led to another, then one more, until the invitation to the barbecue.

  Becca had prepared herself for a confrontation with Quinn, practiced the words, steeled herself against his expected fury. She’d been ready to offer supervised visitation. After last night, she realized how petty and self-centered the request would have sounded.

  Quinn wanted nothing less than joint custody, and in her heart, Becca knew he deserved time to become the father their son needed. Her mind, however, fought her heart at every step. A part of her, a large part if she were honest, still wanted to punish him for leaving.

  He’d gone off, lived the life he dreamed about, achieved his goals, while she spent every minute taking care of Jamie or working to pay rent and
put food on the table. Every dream Becca had vanished the day she accepted he’d never return.

  That had been the last time she’d shed a tear over Quinn McCord. Hated him, loved him, wished he suffered as she had, but never again wasted another minute crying over him. Until last night.

  Hearing her phone signal a text, Becca grabbed it from the nightstand, staring at the name.

  Quinn.

  A sharp stab to her heart caused the phone to drop onto the bed, his message unread. She felt torn in two. One part wanted to stay, watch Quinn become a father, pretend they still had a chance at love. The other part, the one pulsing with each breath, urged her to take Jamie and run.

  She’d come to Liberty Lake in desperation. Seeing the job Cara posted had been the perfect opportunity to stay.

  Her time at the law firm, and with the man she’d been seeing, had come to an abrupt end the evening she’d wandered into Victor’s home office. The one room in the house he’d never shown her.

  Becca had been drawn to a photo on his desk, which led her gaze to a stack of folders. A few minutes later, heart pounding at what she’d read, Becca slipped one under her jacket. Giving a quick apology about Jamie’s sitter becoming ill, she’d hurried home. Three days later, she’d found herself much closer to her past than she’d ever intended.

  Becca had no idea what Victor would do after discovering she’d been the one to steal the file. What she found curious was the fact he hadn’t tried to find her.

  Or maybe he hadn’t decided what to do about her finding such a damaging secret. Because Becca would bet her life Victor knew she’d been the one to break his trust.

  “Mom?”

  Shoving aside her concerns over Victor and dread about the looming dinner with Quinn, she walked to the door, pulling it open, her lips tipping into a grin. “Morning, sweetie.”

  Jamie’s hair stuck out in all directions, the threadbare Star Wars pajamas too short in the sleeves and legs. She’d bought him others, but he’d been stubborn about wearing those each night.

  “Can we make bacon and pancakes for breakfast?”

  Reaching out, she ruffled his already messed up hair. “We sure can. I’ll be right there.”

  “Okay, but I’m starving.”

  Returning to the bed, she picked up the phone, reading Quinn’s message.

  Four o’clock at my place. Caid and Cara will be there. Is there anything Jamie doesn’t eat?

  So curt and concise. Much as she suspected their conversation would be this evening.

  Jamie eats everything. Whatever you have will be fine.

  She waited a couple minutes after sending, wondering if he’d respond. He didn’t.

  “Mom?”

  Slipping into a flannel shirt and sandals, Becca headed to the kitchen, heart thudding in her chest. The day she dreaded for years had caught up with her. She had to get control of her apprehension and what she knew would happen in a few hours. After today, her life and Jamie’s would never be the same again.

  Phoenix

  “She’s still in Liberty Lake and working for Cara McCord. Just the two of them, Victor. It’s an easy enough place to break into.”

  Setting his elbows on the desk, Victor Ellison rested his chin on clasped hands. “Not yet, Dorn.”

  “She’s been gone over two months. What she took could destroy both of us.” Lowering himself into a chair on the other side of the desk, Dorn Rawlins crossed his muscular legs, deep lines of worry between his eyes.

  Victor’s bland expression didn’t change. “We still have no proof Rebecca took the file. If she did, why hasn’t she done something with the information?”

  Standing, he walked to a bookshelf, picking up a bronze statue of a little boy. Holding the sculpture up, he examined the details before setting it down. “She’s a smart woman, Dorn. I suspect she’s scared about what will happen to her and Jamie if she makes the contents public.” Shaking his head, Victor shoved his hands into his pockets before turning to face Dorn. “Keep your men watching her. Let me know if she does anything outside of her normal routine.”

  “By then it might be too late.”

  Leaning a hip against his desk, Victor raised a hand, rubbing his jaw. “Where does she spend her time when she isn’t working?”

  “The same as she did here. Picks up her son from school, takes him to whatever activities he has going, and goes home. Except for the couple months you were seeing her, the schedule hasn’t changed since she moved to Liberty Lake.”

  “No boyfriend?”

  “None that my men have seen. She has lunch in the office most days. If not, she goes somewhere with Cara McCord. That’s my biggest worry.”

  “I know, Dorn. You’re afraid Rebecca will confide in her boss, who’ll pass along the information to her husband.”

  “The president of Eternal Brethren.”

  A feral grin curved the corners of Victor’s mouth. “The motorcycle club in an ongoing territory dispute with the Night Devils.”

  “Don’t forget the third player in this game. Demons Blood are smack in the middle of the territory dispute. They are also one of Cara McCord’s clients. Which means Rebecca will have access to their legal files.”

  Victor narrowed his gaze on his longtime friend and confidante. “Are you suggesting we blackmail Rebecca?”

  “Blackmail is much too dirty a business for us. I’d prefer to persuade your ex-girlfriend to help us, and in return, we make certain she and her son receive our protection. After all, once she learns we’re aware of her job and apartment in Liberty Lake, she’ll either run or be inclined to deal with us. My men will use their most subtle approach to convince Miss North of the right choice.”

  Waving a hand in the air, Victor shook his head. “This will only work if she is the one who stole the file.”

  “Do you truly believe she isn’t the one who took it? Nothing else makes sense.”

  Smoothing a hand over already slicked-back hair, Victor’s features didn’t change. Not even a twitch at the actions he was about to trigger.

  “You’re right. We need that file back. Alert the men. Have them do whatever is needed to retrieve it, Dorn.”

  Dorn shoved himself up, moving toward the door. “Anything?”

  “Anything.”

  Becca sipped her soda, watching Jamie in an impromptu soccer game with Wrath and Rock. It was odd seeing two grown men laugh and high-five when one of them made a goal.

  “They never grow up.” Cara wrapped foil over the plate of cooked burgers. “The guys are usually in charge of the barbecue.”

  Brows drawing together, Becca looked down at the remaining patties on the grill. There were enough for a crowd three times the number of people at Wrangler’s. “Are these not all right?”

  Rock and Tessa had joined Wrath and Cara in coming over. The only person missing was Wrangler. According to Cara, he’d made a quick run to the store.

  “Are you kidding?” Cara asked. “They’re great. We’ll let them take a pass on the cooking part today. Maybe we’ll luck out and they’ll volunteer to do the cleanup inside.”

  Becca nodded, then stilled at the sound of a lone motorcycle. Heart thumping against her ribs, she watched as Wrangler parked his bike next to the others. His gaze met hers for a few tense seconds before he dismounted, grabbing a bag strapped behind him.

  Walking past her without a word, he headed into the house. The action underscored how angry he still was at the way he’d learned about Jamie. Becca didn’t blame him, but she wasn’t the bad guy. They’d both played a role in what would happen today.

  A few minutes later, he returned with a couple bags of chips and a bowl brimming with salsa.

  “Food’s on!” Wrangler didn’t spare her a glance before joining the men.

  She watched him still when Jamie ran up. They stared at each other a couple seconds before Wrangler shook off whatever he’d been thinking and smiled.

  “Hey, Jamie. Glad you and your mom could join us. Are you ready
to eat?”

  “Mom says I’m always ready to eat.”

  Chuckling, he set a hand on Jamie’s shoulder, the gesture causing tears to threaten. Whirling away, Becca wrapped her arms around her waist, hurrying inside the house so no one would notice her distress.

  Several times she wondered if this was the best place to let Jamie learn the identity of his father. Maybe it would be better to do it at home, just the three of them. It was too late to change the course of today’s actions.

  By the time she felt under control and walked outside, the others were finishing their meals.

  “Grab some food, Becca. It’s all great.” Cara held out a plate.

  Shaking her head, she sat down in an open spot between Tessa and Jamie. “Are you full yet?”

  “Not yet. Wrangler said I can have as many burgers as I want.”

  She glanced at him at the other end of the picnic table, his expression dark, brooding. “Then go for it, because I’m not cooking tonight.”

  When they’d finished, the guys did the cleanup, Jamie right there with them. Grabbing a cookie from a covered plate, Becca nibbled it, watching her son. He was having a good time, enjoying his time around the men.

  “Are you all right? Do you need more time?” Cara stood next to her, a hand resting on her protruding stomach.

  “No, I’m not all right. And yes, I’d like more time, but Quinn isn’t going to let me have it. He’s adamant about Jamie learning about him today. He’s…” Her voice cracked, as did her heart. “He wants joint custody.”

  Cara took Becca’s arm, guiding her out of the kitchen and around the house to the barn. Stopping, she shot a look behind them, making certain no one had followed.

  “It’s not an unexpected request, Becca. I don’t know all of what happened yesterday. Only what Wrangler told me. You know it had to be a shock to Wrangler, learning about Jamie. It’s no surprise he wants to get to know him, and the only way to do that is to share custody with you.”

  Swatting at the tears falling down her cheeks, Becca glanced at the house, then away. “I don’t want to lose Jamie the way I lost Quinn.”